Difference between revisions of "2004 AMC 8 Problems/Problem 17"

(Solution)
(Solution 2)
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Let the three friends be <math>a</math>, <math>b</math>, <math>c</math> repectively.
 
Let the three friends be <math>a</math>, <math>b</math>, <math>c</math> repectively.
  
<math>a</math> + <math>b</math> + <math>c</math> = 3
+
<math>a</math> + <math>b</math> + <math>c</math> = <math>3</math>
 
The total being 3 and 2 plus signs, which implies
 
The total being 3 and 2 plus signs, which implies
 
<math>\binom{3+2}{3} = \binom{5}{3} = \boxed{\textbf{(D)}\ 10}</math>.
 
<math>\binom{3+2}{3} = \binom{5}{3} = \boxed{\textbf{(D)}\ 10}</math>.
 +
 +
Solution by <math>phoenixfire</math>
  
 
==See Also==
 
==See Also==
 
{{AMC8 box|year=2004|num-b=16|num-a=18}}
 
{{AMC8 box|year=2004|num-b=16|num-a=18}}
 
{{MAA Notice}}
 
{{MAA Notice}}

Revision as of 10:54, 15 November 2019

Problem

Three friends have a total of $6$ identical pencils, and each one has at least one pencil. In how many ways can this happen?

$\textbf{(A)}\ 1\qquad \textbf{(B)}\ 3\qquad \textbf{(C)}\ 6\qquad \textbf{(D)}\ 10 \qquad \textbf{(E)}\ 12$

Solution 1

For each person to have at least one pencil, assign one of the pencil to each of the three friends so that you have $3$ left. In partitioning the remaining $3$ pencils into $3$ distinct groups, use Ball-and-urn to find the number of possibilities is $\binom{3+3-1}{3} = \binom{5}{3} = \boxed{\textbf{(D)}\ 10}$.

Solution 2

like in solution 1, for each person to have at least one pencil, assign one of the pencil to each of the three friends so that you have $3$ left. In partitioning the remaining $3$ pencils into $3$ distinct groups, use number of non-negetive integral soutions. Let the three friends be $a$, $b$, $c$ repectively.

$a$ + $b$ + $c$ = $3$ The total being 3 and 2 plus signs, which implies $\binom{3+2}{3} = \binom{5}{3} = \boxed{\textbf{(D)}\ 10}$.

Solution by $phoenixfire$

See Also

2004 AMC 8 (ProblemsAnswer KeyResources)
Preceded by
Problem 16
Followed by
Problem 18
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
All AJHSME/AMC 8 Problems and Solutions

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